You just can't drive the Trans-Canada and not make a stop at Lake Louise. It's the definitive, textbook example of an idyllic mountain lake. And it's at exactly the point where you have to stop for a rest anyway when heading west from Calgary. Not surprisingly, it's also the definitive, textbook example of a smoothly run tourist trap.

As the Bahá'í Faith began to take root in North America in the early years of the twentieth century, a group of mostly American Bahá'ís decided it was about time for the new and rapidly growing religion to have a proper temple in the New World. The cornerstone was laid by Abdu’l-Baha in 1912, but it would take another four decades to finance, build and finish the House of Worship for the Americas, in Willmette, Illinois.

When you ask trans-Canada travellers if there's anything to do in Manitoba, the answer is often "Hmm, well, let's see.... not much".

It turns out that often-ignored Manitoba has plenty of nice little places to enjoy, if you're willing to get off the highway for a while. It's a relatively short hop (a bit under an hour north of Highway One) to get to Lake Winnipeg.